Across
- 3. A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it helps regulate many of the body’s maintenance activities, such as eating, drinking, and body temperature, and is linked to emotion.
- 5. The “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance.
- 8. nerves Nerves that carry information from the sense receptors to the spinal cord and brain.
- 11. cells Specialized cells in every sensory system of the body that can turn other kinds of energy into action potentials (neural impulses) that the brain can process.
- 12. effect A neurotransmitter effect that makes it more likely that the receiving neuron will generate an action potential, or fire.
- 16. A neural center located in the limbic system that wraps around the back of the thalamus; it helps process new memories for permanent storage.
- 18. nervous system (CNS) The brain and the spinal cord.
- 19. terminal The end point of a neuron, where neurotransmitters are stored.
- 20. lobes The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; it includes the primary visual processing areas of the brain.
- 21. fissure The long crevice that divides the cerebral cortex into the left and right hemispheres.
- 23. cortex A strip of brain tissue at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body sensations.
- 25. callosum The large band of neural tissue that connects the two brain hemispheres and allows them to communicate with each other.
- 26. division The part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body.
- 28. effect A neurotransmitter effect that makes it less likely that a receiving neuron will generate an action potential, or fire.
- 29. A drug that boosts the effect of a neurotransmitter.
- 30. lobes The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; it includes the somatosensory cortex and general association areas used for processing information.
- 32. lobes The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead that is involved in planning and judgment; it includes the motor cortex.
- 33. The oldest part and central core of the brain; it begins where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull and is responsible for automatic survival functions.
- 36. cortex A strip of brain tissue at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.
- 37. A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
Down
- 1. Located at the base of the brainstem, it controls basic life-support functions like heartbeat and breathing.
- 2. division The part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to deal with perceived threats.
- 4. cortex The intricate fabric of interconnected neurons that form the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center.
- 6. The branching extensions of a neuron that receive information and conduct impulses toward the cell body (soma).
- 7. nervous system (PNS) The sensory and motor nerves that connect the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body.
- 9. formation A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling wakefulness and arousal.
- 10. lobes The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; it includes the auditory (hearing) areas of the brain
- 13. The brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex.
- 14. nervous system The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles.
- 15. nervous system The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs; its subdivisions are the sympathetic (arousing) division and the para-sympathetic (calming) division.
- 17. The brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or experience.
- 22. An almond-shaped neural cluster in the limbic system that controls emotional responses, such as fear and anger.
- 24. A chemical messenger that travels across the synapse from one neuron to the next
- 27. A drug that blocks the effect of a neurotransmitter.
- 31. system A ring of structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral cortex; it helps regulate important functions such as memory, fear, aggression, hunger, and thirst, and it includes the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the amygdala.
- 34. The tiny, fluid-filled gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another.
- 35. The extension of a neuron through which neural impulses are sent.